


Decaf

by redrobinfection (ChristmasRivers)



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Coffee, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Exhaustion, M/M, Sleep Deprivation, go to sleep already Tim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-10-01 19:39:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10198130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristmasRivers/pseuds/redrobinfection
Summary: Tim is up late – or early…or something…he’s not even sure anymore; he lost track yesterday – trying to knock out some projects for school, his WE job, and the "other" job, but when things get to the point where his work is going nowhere and he’s half a blink from nodding off, Jason decides to intervene.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this _ages_ ago but this is the first chance I’ve had in a while to post anything. Enjoy!

Tim shifted his laptop where it balanced on his legs and then stretched in place as best as he could while his legs were propped up on the coffee table in his living room. The rest of him was sprawled across the couch, various documents and devices strewn around him as he sorted through details for cases, figures for work, emails for school, and more. He was exhausted - scratch that, he was _beyond_ exhausted; try _running on fumes_ \- and he knew he was probably trying to do too many things at once. But when something needs to get done, it just needs to get done, you know? Suppressing a yawn, he raised his coffee mug for the umpteenth time that day…or evening… - or _whatever_ \- then paused.

Something felt off, he realized as a wave of comfortable numbness settled into his limbs and his eyelids began to droop. _Shit…wait…_

“Jason…? What did you… ”

The other man, slouched on the couch beside him - legs up, too, seemingly napping - didn’t even let Tim finish before he briskly sat up - suddenly wide awake - turned to Tim, and went straight to business.

“So here’s the deal,” Jason said. “First of all: that coffee I made you? It’s decaf.” Tim looked down into his mug and swirled it blearily. _Bummer._

Some rational part of Tim’s mind dimly registered alarm at how delirious and ridiculous it was to be disappointed with what would probably turn out to be the most innocent part of the deception. But then Jason went on.

“Second, I spiked it with vodka.”

_Mmmm, coffee cocktails..._

Tim’s rational side _really_ shook its head at that stray thought. _This is_ not _the time to be enjoying a drink of all things,_ the quiet voice at the back of his mind reminded himself sternly, struggling to be heard over the delirious urge to giggle at his own ridiculousness.

It was all part of a stupid game he and Jason had started playing recently - to mess with each other, yes, but also to train themselves to stay on their respective toes. One person would sneak a shot of rot-gut vodka into the other’s drink one night; a few nights later the other would sneak piss-awful whiskey into the one’s drink. And so on. After Tim had tried to sneak cough syrup into Jason’s porter, and Jason had subsequently tried to drop a benadryl into Tim’s cola, they had agreed to draw the line at “alcohol fit for human consumption”. It was a measure of his trust in Jason, Jason’s trust in him, and their baseline respect for each other, that, up until that point, neither one of them had tried to spike the other’s food or drink with anything too hardcore in any case. And since laying down their rules and requests, neither had crossed any lines the other was uncomfortable with.

Moreover, up until now, Tim had actually been pretty good about catching unwelcome additives - it was all about plying one’s keen observational skills and finely-tuned senses.  He had prided himself on how nearly impossible it was to sneak anything past him - unlike Jason, who more often than not ended up wasted after a few consecutive rounds of their “game” (although, Tim was starting to wonder if Jason was letting it happen on purpose, just for “fun”). So for Tim to have missed something as obvious as this… he wasn’t sure if he was more frustrated with Jason for timing his move to coincide so perfectly with Tim’s deadlines or with himself for letting his guard drop so low.

“I spiked it to see if you were awake enough to notice - awake enough to justify continuing working yourself ‘til you drop ” Jason continued, “but, just as I thought, you didn’t and you aren’t. So now I don’t even feel bad for hoping the alcohol will have the secondary benefit of knocking you out sooner rather than later. But one way or another, you’ve got about ten more minutes, and then I’m dragging your tipsy ass off to bed.”

“But Jason, whyyyyyyy?” Tim moaned, dragging out the word. He scrubbed his hands roughly over his face and up into his hair in a vain attempt to fight off the effects of the alcohol.

“Because this is pointless.” Jason replied with a long-suffering expression. “You’re useless right now.” Tim opened his mouth to argue but - “No, you _are_ ,” Jason insisted, eyes narrowing. Tim closed his mouth numbly as Jason plowed on relentlessly.

“You’ve been useless for the past _two hours._ ” Jason gestured to the laptop. “None of the things you’ve been trying to work on has progressed at more than a snail’s pace for the past four. And pretty much all you’ve been doing in the last two has been brutally forcing yourself to focus while you desperately struggle not to nod off. And for what?” Jason leaned forward to squint at the laptop. “Three lines in one email and a few budget calculations, which, might I point out, aren’t even correct.” Tim squinted at the screen. _Dammit. They’re not._

Jason grimaced and scrubbed his hands over his own face in a gesture of exasperation. “You’re just hurling yourself against it futilely and it’s painful to watch.”

“Jaaayce-”

“PAINFUL, babybird,” Jason repeated, dropping his hands so he could pin Tim with a stern glare that was at odds with half amused, half chagrined set of his mouth.

Tim sighed and stared blearily at his laptop. The words on the screen were starting to run together now, and he could feel more of the alcohol-induced heaviness creeping over him. Though, if he were to be completely honest with himself, the words had started running together long before Jason had handed him that last mug of coffee.

“So here’s what we’re gonna do,” Jason cut into his thoughts. “You’re gonna finish that email, down a glass of water, and then we’re gonna call it a night.” Night? Was it really night again? He really _had_ lost track at some point…

Tim threw his head back against the seat and groaned in protest, but he knew he had already given in. To the exhaustion and the alcohol, but more importantly to the concern of his significant other. If Jason had resorted to practically drugging him and dragging him off then, yeah, it was probably time to call it a day. Or night. Or _whatever_.

Tim raised his head and considered the half mug of dark liquid for a few long seconds before he shrugged and threw the lot of it back in one gulp. Jason startled at Tim’s abrupt move as he rounded the couch on his way back from snagging Tim a glass of water from the kitchen, and Tim startled at Jason in turn. He hadn’t even seen Jason leave the room, much the less notice him walk up beside him. _Damn, okay, maybe I do need to get some sleep…_ Tim took the glass without comment and downed the contents of that in one go as well.

Jason took the empty mug and glass away while Tim clumsily exited documents and programs as fast as he could as wave after wave of increasing wooziness washed over him. By the time he had shut down the device and closed the lid, his eyes were barely cracked open and it felt as if his limbs were melting into the furniture. At this point he was about ready to let himself drift away right there on the couch, legs still stiffly propped up on the table.

After Tim spent what felt like could have been either seconds or hours - or both -  drifting in and out of a dark haze, eventually, he felt warm arms wrap around him, one snaking up behind his back and the other slipping under his legs. He vaguely sensed the pull of gravity shift around him as he was lifted and pulled in securely against something pleasantly warm. Without thinking he melted into the warmth, letting it lull his mind into somnolent static.

Next thing he knew, something firm, but comfortable was rising up to meet his back. The surface was chill compared to the warmth of before, and Tim whined as the temperature shift shocked him back from the sleep that was fast pulling him under.

He tossed, turning himself over restlessly until hot hands steadied him, pulling at his clothes. The rush of cold air against his suddenly exposed skin made him cringe, but just as quickly a warm mass settled in beside him and he pressed himself into it desperately. A low chuckle rumbled under his ear as hands pulled soft covers over them both. There was a  soft click and then darkness abruptly enveloped them as well.

Awareness of the change skimmed across the surface of Tim’s consciousness, barely penetrating, in very much the same way the last sounds Tim heard before fading away entirely barely registered as words.

“Sleep well, babybird.”

No longer words, but rather vibrations, settling into his bones and resonating in his very soul.

“I love you.”

…

_I love you, too._

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by my own experiences with exhaustion-induced “uselessness”. (You know that point at which you’re so tired can’t focus long enough on any one thing to actually make a difference so you just end up flapping around uselessly until you pass out? Lol, yeah. That. Happens to me frequently. Happened to me last night, actually XD).
> 
> Also, I didn’t mention any ages here but assume that Jason is old enough to legally consume alcohol and Tim is close enough. “Underaged drinking is a crime” (is what I’m supposed to tell you, so there you go). **However** , please do drink responsibly (no matter your age), **never** sneak things into people’s drinks unless they’ve explicitly asked you to do so (e.g. you offer to make someone a drink and they say “yes” and then say “surprise me” – or something like that) and always be sure it is something that is safe for them to consume (again, if you’re not sure, then ask; better safe than sorry). Lol, sorry, that was the mandatory safety and consent talk, but thanks for bearing with me. Have fun, party hard, and stay safe, everyone ;3
> 
> My DCU tumblr sideblog is [redrobinfection](http://redrobinfection.tumblr.com/). Link for this work on tumblr: [here](http://redrobinfection.tumblr.com/post/158216902887/decaf). Thanks for reading!


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